VEs may not be compensated for their examination services -- only reimbursed for expenses. (See 97.527) The FCC allows only one reimbursement amount which can't exceed the maximum allowed regardless of the number of elements passed. An amateur passing any number of test elements in a single
exam session sitting pays only the one testing fee. Retesting because of failure of an element, however, requires a second fee, see (See Retesting), below.

The reimbursement fee is the only fee that may be charged to a candidate for an exam. Applicants must not be required to purchase license preparation material, participate in an instruction class for which a fee is charged or to purchase a ticket to an event of any kind as a prerequisite to taking an amateur examination.

If exams are held at an instruction class, hamfest, convention or other gathering, any fee charged for admission must be separate and apart from the exam reimbursement fee. A candidate must not be required to purchase an admission ticket just to take an exam. (One way around this problem which has worked many times in the past is to gather exam applicants outside the "admission fee required" area and escort them to and from the testing area.) The availability of amateur exams inside hamfest grounds is an excellent promotional tool and allows teams to test many applicants that normally would not be reached.

We require all VE teams to charge the full established exam fee to all applicants. The fee may be collected in advance or at the time of testing. W5YI-VEC shares this exam fee with its VEs since they must pay for postage, photocopying, etc. There are no expense lists to submit.

The breakdown of the test fee reimbursement between the W5YI-VEC and our VEs is:

Number of Applicants

VE Team Reimbursement Share

W5YI-VEC Share

Total Fee

Any Number

$7.00 ea.

$7.00 ea.

$14.00 ea.

The W5YI-VEC fee share may be paid by check, money order, cash or credit card. If the VE team conducts exam sessions sponsored by a club, excess test fees may not be deposited in a ham club treasury. Any excess funds must be spent and relate to test session expenses.

Many VE teams open bank checking accounts into which they deposit all test fees. The W5YI-VEC fee share is simply paid by check from that account. Other teams pay the VEC fee share by a personal check from one of the examiners. (It is not necessary to pay by cashier's check or money order to W5YI-VEC.)